Derek Carr Says His New Deal Was Done to Help Raiders Keep Other Stars on Team

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said he doesn’t care that his $25 million per year deal will be quickly surpassed by a handful of NFL quarterbacks with expiring contracts looking to top the market, Conor Orr of NFL.com reports.

His main concerns? Take care of his team and his family. Both of those are now complete.

Carr confirmed on Friday during a post-signing press conference that his deal was structured in order to help the Raiders ink other superstars. Khalil Mack, quite possibly the best defensive player in the league, will most likely be next along with guard Gabe Jackson. Mack is entering the final year of his rookie deal with a fifth-year option season coming in 2018.

Mack will undoubtedly top the market for all defensive players, with Von Miller’s six-year, $114.5 million deal ($19,083,333 per year with $70 million in practical guarantees) serving as a baseline. Jackson, a former third-round pick, is entering the final year of his deal.

“We figured out a way to do it so that we have the opportunity to sign the other guys that I think are important to this organization,” Carr said. “That was really important to me. Not to just take every single dime that we could. I hope that that’s known. Obviously, the position that I play, it has to be around a certain number. It just is what it is. At the same time, I told (my agent), if we can structure it in a way to help the Raiders get the other guys, give them an opportunity to come in, that that would be really important to me too.”

Asked practically how that will work, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie was vague.

“The bottom line is, we’re able to move forward to keep all the players we need to keep in the correct timing. This affords us to do that. We’ll start on that ASAP.”